


Kingdom Come

by asleepby2



Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dont let the tags scare you its not what it looks like, Established Relationship, Fluff, Historical AU with a twist, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Temporary Character Death, but just roll with it please, i dont know what this is exactly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21732373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asleepby2/pseuds/asleepby2
Summary: His betrothed, to whom he had promised an entire lifetime to mere weeks ago, had contracted a disease that no medic had encountered before. All they could do was numb his pain.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Han Seungwoo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Kingdom Come

**Author's Note:**

> Jongwoon is Seungwoo  
> Hyukmin is Seungyoun  
> (The king is implied to be Lee Dongwook but its never mentioned)  
> That's all you need to know!

Jongwoon receives the message in the midst of a meeting with one of their kingdom’s mightiest allies. He, along the king and his wisest advisers, had traveled for days on horse and carriage to meet with their neighboring kingdom to discuss issues on trade dealings and increasing attacks from rebel bandits. They’ve discussed the issue in full detail throughout the span of several meetings and today would hopefully be their last.

The assembly passed with little fanfare till the messenger, a young lad that evidently had never been within the castle grounds, clumsily stumbled through the oaken doors, scroll in hand, calling for Jongwoon with a lilt to his voice that made it all the more obvious that he was not a royal servant but a traveler paid to pass a message to them on his own. Normally the king would scold the carrier for such uncouth behavior but Jongwoon, as his highness’ wisest and thus most trusted general, was gifted with privileges no other official in their court had. Excusing himself from meetings for personal grievances was one of them.

The boy, dressed in earthy robes and leather boots, relays the message to him in a stuttered apprehensive tone. He reads the note in his hands word per word carefully as if to somehow ease Jongwoon into the wave of emotions that washes over him with each message he stumbles through.

His betrothed, to whom he had promised an entire lifetime to mere weeks ago, had contracted a disease that no medic had encountered before. The message relayed that he fell ill shortly after Jongwoon's departure to their neighboring kingdom and worsened gradually from there. They had no means to cure him. All they could do was numb his pain.

The grief washes over him all at once, making his knees weak and his mind hazy. The carrier stands stiffly beside him, flustered by witnessing such a high official at their most vulnerable but Jongwoon could care less. He waves the boy off to save him the grief and slides down onto the cold stone floor.

In an ideal world, he’d burst through the gathering hall and announce his departure to the king. He’d leave the men aghast as he rode out on his horse to return home to his beloved. Maybe he would assist in the search for the cure and save his lover. But the world is never fair and it has proven this time and time again.

The journey to their allied kingdom took several days on horse. The path long and winding, passing through dangerous territories only their knights could handle. He’d never make the journey alone. So he’d have to join the rest of their men when their business in this kingdom was settled. They only had a few days left at the kingdom to conclude the proceedings and finalize all further negotiations between their kingdoms before they could finally return home. Their journey would be further slowed by the worsening weather they’d have to endure. Somehow the world grew drearier with each moment that passed.

* * *

Their camp arrived back to their kingdom with great flourish. The villagers lined the streets to the castle to welcome their king back from his travels. On any other occasion Jongwoon would be humbled at the sight of their subjects in such high spirits upon the sight of their king but their numbers blocked the path and made it impossible for Jongwoon to part with the group to rush to the castle himself. Each moment he spent fidgeting in the king’s carriage meant another moment he wasted away from Hyukmin. And with his illness, each moment spent with his love was precious. Each moment away from him was agony.

The king, sitting across him in their royal carriage, took notice to his unease with a grim yet knowing smile.

“Just a while longer, my friend. We shall arrive at the castle soon enough. Take all the time you need to care for him.”

His goodwill with the king was not formed overnight. Though the king was cordial to all, it took long to gain his trust, let alone to form a bond with him the way Jongwoon had. But Jongwoon was intelligent beyond his years and loyal to a fault, two things that separated him from his older and seemingly less accepting colleagues at the time. Where they barged into battles carelessly, Jongwoon strategized and carried his plans out meticulously. The king quickly took notice of his tactical skills and appointed him as his general and closest advisor.

Soon their camp pulled into the towering castle gates. Jongwoon hastily leaped out of the carriage and rushed up to his quarters to where Hyukmin was.

* * *

His lover was surrounded by the castle maids and physicians holding rags and basins and bottles of liquids of peculiar shades. The room was in motion but Hyukmin lied still, his eyes open yet unseeing where they were trained to the ceiling above him.

"Hyukmin, I'm here. I'm here, love." Jongwoon cries as he shoves the maids aside. He grasps at Hyukmin’s unnaturally cold palms, blowing on them gently in an attempt to return their warmth.

Hyukmin shows no sign of recognition at the sight of the general through bleary and unfocused eyes but even so, his frantic voice seems to be enough to bring Hyukmin’s attention back to the present. He stares at Jongwoon for a still moment before he is overwhelmed with emotion. Each breath he takes seems painful as his chest expands to take in air between heart wrenching sobs.

"Jong- Jongwoon, you're here! You came home." He cries through painful laborious coughs.

"Of course I did. I would never leave you." Jongwoon can tell there's much more that Hyukmin wants to say but each breath he takes sends another throbbing wave of pain through his body. His lungs rattled as they expanded and his hands convulsed in Jongwoon's hold despite how weak he was. It was as if living was a chore Hyukmin forced himself to soldier through. But even so, he stubbornly continues.

“I thought you’d left me.” Just hearing it sends another painful wave of regret through Jongwoon.

“Why would I ever do that?”

“I don’t… I just wanted you home.” Hyukmin smiles that same beautiful smile though his lips are parched and his teeth is stained with blood. It’s a sight so painful he has to look away.

"I love you." Hyukmin rasps out desperately as he’s overtaken with another bought of coughs.

"I love you too. It'll be okay. Everything will be okay. Just hold on for me. Please- just hold on for me." He pulls Hyukmin to his chest gently. The scarlet from Hyukmin's lips stain his robes but he pays it no mind.

Hyukmin starts to cough out more and more blood and he grows weaker with each breath he takes. Jongwoon desperately denies it but deep down he knows. His lover doesn’t have much time left. He knows the reaper looms nearby, waiting for the right time to take Hyukmin away.

He tightens his grip on Hyukmin, as if holding him closer would lend him a bit of his strength. As if he could fend off the reaper for as long as he was holding Hyukmin close.

"Jongwoon..." his voice slurs and Jongwoon brings his face closer to hear. “Jongwoon... I love you so much. I'm sorry- I'm so sorry..." His breaths slow with each word he whispers into Jongwoon’s ear.

"No- no please." He begs to the cruel angel of death. "Please- just hold on Hyukmin. Don't leave me alone please, love." No matter how hard he begs, Hyukmin’s breaths continue to slow till he lies motionless in his arms. Soon Jongwoon’s cries are the only sound that fills the still air.

"Seung- Seungyoun-ah please!"

_"CUT!"_

A booming voice echoes through the studio scaring Seungwoo out of his tears.

"Hyung!" Seungyoun laughs up at him with an endeared smile, a stark difference to his bloody lips and flushed pallor.

"Can we just edit the audio for that last part?" He calls out the team watching them behind the heavy looking camera setup. A round of laughter booms through the set before the director calls for a ten minute break. The slip up is sure to end up on their blooper reel somewhere.

They were nearing the end of filming for their latest historical fiction film set to hit theaters the following year. The scene they were working on was slated out to be one of the most pivotal scenes from the movie. It was to be the highlight of the film, where Jongwoon cradled his lover one last time before ultimately losing him to the disease he’s been avoiding all his life. The pressure on the young actors was high but as the newest and most promising young stars of the year, no one doubted that they’d be able to pull off such daring roles.

The two had been battling it out, or so the media has framed, for years. It all started when the duo starred as rivals in a teen slice-of-life series, Seungwoo as the kind-hearted and responsible class president and Seungyoun as the goofy yet dependable best friend. They were both budding actors at the time, Seungwoo having only a few months of experience over Seungyoun as the series was his first venture. The show was the best received that year, gaining countless awards for both the technical departments and the young stars, thus catapulting both of the young leads to stardom almost instantly.

From then, the media constantly pitted them against one another. Their films would be compared and their contrasting approaches to acting was constantly analyzed in online discussions. Some people favoring Seungyoun’s organic way of interpreting scripts over Seungwoo’s more method approach. Despite all this, they maintained the close friendship they formed from their first venture together.

The two were often spotted out shopping together or going on trips with their friends on their rare off-days. However no one saw it coming when both actors were spotted outside a hotel in broad daylight, proudly brandishing their locked hands and loving gazes to the paparazzi without shame. The media had a heyday to put it simply.

Following the media frenzy, the two were labeled the “It-Couple of the Year”. Leading to numerous joint photoshoots and interviews and unsurprisingly: leading roles in the most anticipated film of the year.

"Sorry about that..." Seungwoo chuckles as he delicately pats the salty tears off his cheeks.

"I guess I'm a pretty good actor, huh?" Seungyoun says haughtily, helping Seungwoo brush a few tears off his cheek gently.

"It means you're good at lying around like a dead person." He chides with a flick to Seungyoun's forehead and a warm grin. There's a beat of silence between them as Seungyoun watches Seungwoo with a warm knowing smile.

"Did I really scare you back there?" He whispers gently, feeling oddly nervous, as he picks at the cotton sheets beneath them. He knew Seungwoo was a bleeding-heart deep down despite him constantly maintaining a mask of elegance and poise that he was widely known for. Seungwoo wouldn’t admit it but he worried that one day it would be his downfall and Seungyoun knew this more than anyone else.

"Maybe a little..." Seungwoo's hand joins his, smoothing out each thread Seungyoun pulls at.

The boom mics that hang above their heads are off but Seungwoo still brings himself closer to whisper the confession into Seungyoun’s ear. He hovers close enough for Seungyoun to feel his breath on his cheek.

"I just don't want you going anywhere I can't follow."

There’s a sincerity beyond anything Seungyoun has ever heard laced in Seungwoo's words. It knocks the breath out of his chest and clouds his mind leaving him speechless. All he can do is stare at the rosy glow that dusts Seungwoo's cheeks, somehow sure that the warmth on his own matches Seungwoo’s perfectly.

Seungwoo's grin is warm and loving beyond all words when he tugs Seungyoun's pinky to lock with his own. A wordless promise that he asks of Seungyoun.

_There's nowhere I won’t go as long as you’re by his side._

Seungyoun lets it go unspoken like the promise they lock between them with knowing smiles on their faces. Seungyoun decides to seal it further with a playful peck right at the center of Seungwoo's wide grin, staining his lips with cherry flavored faux-blood. Seungwoo pulls him closer to lick the smeared crimson off his lips but the director’s booming voice cuts them off before things got too heated.

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise! It's an actors!AU. Seungwoo and Seungyoun are already in an established relationship and are playing Jongwoon and Hyukmin in a tragic period piece. Sorry if the twist threw anyone off. I just really wanted to try out this kind of concept.
> 
> This was inspired by another work (from a different fandom) but I can't seem to find it ;;


End file.
